1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to golf accessories, and in particular, to accessories that allow a golfer to tee and position golf balls and other objects without bending over.
2. Description of the Related Art
The game of golf is one of the most popular forms of recreation in the United States and throughout the world. Golf is marketed as a game that can be enjoyed throughout one's lifetime. However, in practice, many golfers are forced to give up golf prematurely due to the strain and pressure that the game places on one's back and joints. Much of this strain and pressure results from the fact that golfer's are constantly required to bend over and manipulate items adjacent their feet during a round. For example, golfers must bend over to tee a golf ball before beginning a hole, mark or clean a golf ball on the green, and retrieve a golf ball from a cup after completion of the hole. In a typical 18-hole golf round a golfer may be forced to bend completely over a total of seventy times.
A few products have emerged in recent years that purport to alleviate the above back pressure and strain by allowing a golfer to tee or pick up a golf ball from a relatively upright position (i.e., without bending over). Such products, however, have proven less than desirable as they are generally expensive, cumbersome to carry and use, and may result in limiting the effectiveness of traditional golf clubs.
For example, one prior art device requires that a golfer carry, in addition to his/her fourteen golf clubs, a telescoping golf retrieval and placement device that is akin to a telescoping golf ball retriever commonly used to retrieve a golf ball from water or other hazards. Such devices typically include an elongate or telescoping pole and a pick-up tool disposed on one end thereof. In various applications, the pick-up tool is designed to hold the golf ball securely such that it may be retrieved without being dislodged as the pick-up tool bumps seaweed, mud, brush, or other objects that are common to golf hazards. Unfortunately, however, such golf ball retrieval and placement devices are expensive, cumbersome to carry and operate, and must be carried in an already tightly packed golf bag. Other prior art golf ball retrieval and placement devices incorporate pick-up tools that are attached to the hozzle of a golf club or that clip over the golf club grip. Such devices also have drawbacks in that they are generally cumbersome to use and limit the effectiveness of the golf clubs themselves. For example, pick-up tools that are clipped over the grip of a golf club may cause undue wear and tear to the grip.
As a result, there is a need for an improved system and method for simply positioning and retrieving golf balls without requiring a golfer to significantly bend at the waist. The improved system and method should be inexpensive, compact, easy to use, and should operate as a non-damaging accessory to a conventional golf club.